The piece covers much, from issues surrounding the Atari/Turbine/WoTC collaboration to the issues of translating P&P games to the computer:

Moderator: How does D&D Online, and online gaming in general, fit into D&D's grand scheme?

Ed Stark: I've seen it said many times that there wouldn't be any online RPG if D&D hadn't existed in the first place, and whether or not that's true, those of us who've been working on role-playing games and D&D for years are finally happy to see the industry come full circle. D&D Online will be another way to play D&D with your friends. D&D has always been a social activity, and this is yet another expression of that.

Dave Eckelberry: The online game represents the next evolution of the Dungeons & Dragons. Let's face it, online games from the early text MUDs to Asheron's Call are basically unique D&D campaigns taken to a new medium, and it's a pastime that fans of the original game get to see their game take form in a persistent online world.

The roundtable, moderated by Miguel Lopez, may be read in its entirety at this link.